Back in the Attitude Era, when WWE was known as WWF, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit was a huge fan. And what was not to love about the Attitude Era? You had amazing characters and edgy storylines. But after WCW was bought out by the McMahons, the content of WWE shifted to PG. Which made sense in a business standpoint because a family-friendly product meant more advertisers and a better stock portfolio. But the shift also caused a rift with the wrestling fans from that era.

For a long stretch of time following the PG shift, WWE’s storylines have been less than appealing. This statement is not to overlook some of the head scratchers from the Attitude days, but todays’ storylines have become disgustingly melodramatic.

The most recent offenders of partaking in a storyline reeking of melodrama have been Dolph Ziggler and Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute went from undefeated monster who crushed his opponents without mercy, to a babbling idiot jealous of his former mouthpiece Lana dating the Show Off. As for Dolph Ziggler, he recently signed a new 3-year contract and this is what he’s doing?

The actual matches haven’t been bad. Their clash at Night of Champions was really good, but there isn’t really much substance to go on.

Then there’s Summer Rae and Lana. Summer Rae wrestled in FCW and NXT, but hasn’t really made a name for herself as a singles competitor on the main roster. She’s been type-casted as the evil hot blonde girl. While Lana, also a very beautiful blonde girl, played the part of the evil mouthpiece to Rusev so well that she actually went over with the fans as a babyface. Which is all well and good, because she does have that Russian girl next door vibe, but to try and incorporate her as a wrestler down the line doesn’t make sense. That’s like trying to turn “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart into a wrestler.

However, plans for wrestling have now been put on hold with Lana out on the sidelines with an injured wrist. So with the main prize out of the loop, could this mean a possible end to the feud?

You would think, but we saw on both RAW and Smackdown that Ziggler was trying to get into Summer’s head. Is this just to prove how much game Dolph has in picking up women? Will Rusev revert to a hopeless romantic trying to find his one true Russian? Will Dolph put on a suit, befriend Rusev, tell him to suit up, meet him at the bar, and play a game of “Have you met, Rusev?”

It’s understandable that WWE wants to market themselves as a family friendly sports entertainment product, but it should not be at the expense of good storytelling. Just take Ring of Honor as an example: Adam Page called out Jay Briscoe in the center of the ring looking for a fight. Next episode, Page called him out again. By the third episode, Jay Briscoe stated he didn’t know who Adam Page was. When the two finally got in the ring for a match, Page slapped the taste out of Briscoe’s mouth… twice! Then all you wanted to see was Jay kick the living dog crap out of Page, but The Decade intervened and ganged up on Jay.

That’s an example of sound storytelling without the melodrama. But it’s not just Ring of Honor, you have your Lucha Underground and Chikara Pro wrestling programs that go towards the supernatural and comic book sides of storytelling.

Which you would think, why doesn’t WWE do that? Well they do. They just aren’t consistent with it.

The Undertaker and Kane are demonic sons of Satan. That’s supernatural. Cody Rhodes believes he’s a super villain named Stardust, who has aligned himself with The Ascension to form the group of The Cosmic Wasteland. That’s the comic book side of storytelling, but it doesn’t really work in WWE because they don’t want to give it credibility. Instead of saying, this is Stardust and he’s a cosmic traveler from the nether dimension (or something to that effect), the broadcasters simply state that it’s Cody Rhodes who believes he’s a super villain.

I’m pretty sure as long as WWE doesn’t have another live sex celebration or drop an F-Bomb, better storylines is possible with credibility and not forcing the wrestlers to be actors. Let them speak what is true to them.

So tell me your thoughts? Are you okay with the melodrama? Do you want edgier storylines that doesn’t necessarily have to break the PG guidelines?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below this post. Or if you just want to hit me up, you can do so on the twitter @WrestlingTimesX or follow my interests and journey to a healthier fit lifestyle on my instagram @losfriday!

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In a night of wrestling, Lucha Underground delivered with its first night of Ultima Lucha. The show opened with a killer Falls Count Anywhere match between The Mac and “The Machine” known as Cage, with weapons placed throughout the temple. It followed up with a Tornado Trios Tag Team championship match pitting the defending champions Son of Havoc, Ivelisse, and Angélico vs The Disciples of Death. And the night finished off with Drago and Hernandez in a “Believers’ Backlash”: Think of a typical lumberjack match, but with fans holding leather straps and wailing on Hernandez whenever he was outside the ring.

Ultima Lucha:Night One brought a sense of finality between The Mac and Cage, and Drago and Hernandez storylines; and a twist to the trios title scene. It’s fantastic exactly what a pay-per-view should be, a series of matches culminating in a big payoff. And next week, Ultima Luchawill conclude in a 2-hour season finale with Prince Puma defending the Lucha Underground championship against Mil Muertes.

The concept of a wrestling show running on seasons is unheard of because it has always been an all-year-round gig with no off-seasons (as WWE has phrased). Even Steve Austin on The Steve Austin Show was perplexed because he believes that the product should be on every week so as not to run the risk of losing its audience. Plus it gives the boys a steady paycheck.

As a wrestling addict, the thought of not seeing Lucha Underground for the next couple of months is devastating. But it does allow a reprieve for the writers to come up with more storylines to keep the product fresh. Next season it is rumored that ECW-WCW-WWE famed Rey Mysterio, Jr., will compete in the temple. We’ve seen his battles with Johnny Mundo (John Morrison) and Alberto El Patron (Alberto Del Rio) in WWE; imagine Rey paired up against King Cuerno, Cage or Mil Muertes?

Lucha Underground, to me, is the best of both worlds: it has phenomenal wrestling and entertaining storylines. Although some of the storylines are a little out there, meaning that you kind of have to give in to the supernatural. But if fans have been able to follow Paul Bearer controlling The Undertaker with a mystical urn, then Catrina controlling Mil Muertes, and the Disciples of Death, with a mystical stone shouldn’t be that big of a leap of faith.

Again, Ultima Luchawill culminate on Wednesday, August 5. The silent champion Prince Puma will indeed be the underdog going into his title defense. Throughout the whole season of Lucha Underground, Puma, as the inaugural champion, has defended it against the likes of Cage, King Cuerno, Johnny Mundo, Drago, Hernandez, and Chavo Guerrero. But Mil Muertes is definitely his gravest challenge to date. And with his mentor Konan locked away in Mil’s coffin, Puma will be alone. And if the Trios championship match from Night One has shown us, the odds are against you when Catrina is around.

Will Lucha Underground end its season with a new champion, or will Prince Puma prove why he is the temple’s greatest warrior?

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About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

The rumor mill has been running rampant this week following Kevin Owens’ recent loss to John Cena at WWE Battleground. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, some decision makers in WWE don’t want Owens to succeed because they don’t see him in the caliber of Cena, Randy Orton or Seth Rollins. And to further fuel this rumor, Owens was used as one of the locker room members sent to break up the brawl between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker on Monday Night RAW. But these are just rumors and the concept of WWE thinkers not believing in Kevin Owens is not a concept I want to get behind.

Because if WWE truly wanted to bury Kevin Owens, then he would have been the fall guy on Monday’s main event against Cena, Orton and Cesaro. Instead, Owens abandoned Rusev in the middle of the match, who was too busy with Summer Rae, and walked out unpinned. And as far as the locker room brawl, Triple H, himself, was among the people trying to subdue Brock and Taker. It just added to the concept of how monumental SummerSlam’s main event is. Because this is not just any match, this is a WrestleMania rematch to vindicate The Streak. So I wouldn’t consider Kevin Owens a jobber just yet.

Then there’s the co main event that WWE teased on Monday Night RAW when John Cena challenged the integrity of Seth Rollins. John Cena wouldn’t have much of a case if he himself wasn’t still the United States champion. And let’s not forget that the purpose of John Cena winning the United States championship at WrestleMania was to bring prestige back to the US Title. The purpose of Owens vs Cena was to showcase a new threat in WWE.

Kevin Owens is a unique talent because although he’s been brought up to the main roster, he still has a foot in NXT. Samoa Joe has been itching to have a one-on-one match with Owens to see who truly is the best big man. A recovering Sami Zayn vowed to get his hands on his former best friend when he returns to the ring in 2016. And then there’s the new NXT champion Finn Balor, who will defend the championship in a rematch at NXT Takeover in Brooklyn–which I will be attending! So although his program with Cena might have ended (for now) there are still plenty of feuds left for Kevin Owens in NXT.

The Immortal Hulk Hogan praised Kevin Owens in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, stating that Owens made him a believer again. “He caught me with my guard down and he made me a believer again, he hooked me. He’s got that look, man; that demeanor and that swagger.”

And it’s no secret that Steve Austin has been impressed by Owens after stumbling upon his “Top Moves” on YouTube (video below). He’s spoken about him on his podcast–The Steve Austin Show on Podcastone.com–prior to Owens signing to the WWE, and even had Owens on his podcast as a guest.

Kevin Owens brings a believability to the table that no one else does. When you listen to Kevin Owens talk, he comes off as this brash, smug son of a b*tch that you want to fight, but might get beat up by. He’s definitely one of the best heels that WWE has right now, and one of the best opponents, I truly believe, John Cena has had in a long time, because he’s the anti-Cena. To borrow a line from The Flash “The Man in the Yellow Suit”, some would call him the reverse.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Out of the five exclusives promised on the WWE Network for this week, I was most excited for “The Return of the King of The Ring” (which you can read here), the second edition of Live with Chris Jericho feat. Stephanie McMahon, and the Mick Foley comedy special Cheap Pops. You could not ask for a better week to be a wrestling fan, with every night having something new to look forward to.

As talked about on a previous episode of Chris Jericho’s award-winning (in my mind) podcast Talk is Jericho, Jericho explains that the Live with Chris Jericho is a separate entity than his audio TIJ show. The #LiveJericho is simply an exclusive on the WWE Network and will never be made available in audio form. So if you want to hear Jericho’s talk with John Cena and Stephanie McMahon, they can only be viewed if you are a subscriber to the WWE Network. Call him an artist, call his a good company man, Chris Jericho is still the Best in the World at everything he does.

After listening to virtually every single episode of TIJ, even getting the distinct honor of being followed by the official twitter handle @TalkIsJericho, I took his conversation with Stephanie McMahon for what it was, a conversation. Much like you and your friends would have laying on the couch, tossing back a couple of cold ones. What many wrestling fans expect is not what Live with Chris Jericho, or even Talk Is Jericho, is about. They want Chris to bombard these WWE personnel with “hard-hitting” questions to unravel the fabric of kayfabe and time. They basically want a shoot-interview, and unfortunately my loyal readers, that’s not what podcasts are about.

Stephanie McMahon was great, she’s still very beautiful and such an awesome person. And the fact that her eight-year-old daughter has gotten some training from Natalya who says she has promise, is just pretty damn cool. She also talked about first starting out in the WWE working as a clerk, as a receptionist, and then interning in TV production. She went into when she first started dating Triple H and the trouble it caused. And so much more.

Live with Chris Jericho is definitely a must, and if you are a devote wrestling fan, then look no further than Cheap Pops. Mrs. Foley’s baby boy puts on a great comedy special, not to be confused with a stand-up comedy, which he explains in the show! He takes his viewers on an auto-biographical journey to explain why Brock Lesnar was the only man to break The Streak, and why it had to be him.

If you are a fan of his New York Times’ Best Seller “Have a Nice Day” then you are going to love Cheap Pops because the way he tells his stories is the way you would expect him to say it while reading his books. And for any other reason, he’s Mick Friggin’ Foley! There, I’ve sold you on watching Mick Foley’s Cheap Pops.

But seriously, Mick Foley had me laughing and smiling throughout, and made me happy to hear from the hardcore legend once again. And these comedy shows of his is his way of expressing himself creatively to all of us. What more could you want as a wrestling fan?

All three exclusives: KOTR, Live with Chris Jericho and Cheap Pops are available on demand on the WWE Network. Please let me know which specials you loved the most by commenting below or hitting me up on one of the many social networks listed below!

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

WrestlingTimesX proudly presents WTX Video Podcast, a wrestling video podcast that brings to you the best in podcasting, entertainment, controversy, critiquing and anything else.

We talk about the WWE Intercontinental and United States championships being elevated back to prominence, the Legends contracted for blockbuster WWE marquee matches, and the WWE character gimmicks that have stood the test of time.

“The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar announced on ESPN’s Sportscenter on Tuesday that his MMA career was over and that he re-signed with the WWE to a multi-year contract. With this news breaking just days before WrestleMania, the outcome to the WWE World Heavyweight championship match no longer seems so predictable.

It was public knowledge that Brock hadn’t signed a new contract with the WWE, and that the Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania was scheduled to be his final appearance; which led to the easy speculation that Brock would drop the championship over to Roman Reigns, the winner of this year’s Royal Rumble match, and the apparent future main-event megastar.

This, of course, led to weeks of controversy amongst die-hard wrestling fans who didn’t want to see Reigns take on that position in the company. Although it does seem like the course WWE will eventually take because they do want to create a new megastar, which is why Brock defeated Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX, and why he dethroned John Cena out of the main event picture. But just because Roman may be fortunate enough to knock off Brock at the Showcase of the Immortals, it doesn’t mean that Brock’s accomplishments get automatically transferred over to the much inexperienced Roman Reigns.

Before Tuesday’s news, the plans slated Roman Reigns winning the WWE championship at WrestleMania, because as the time-honored wrestling tradition goes, you put over the talent on the way out. And if Brock hadn’t re-signed with the WWE, Brock would have done the favors for Reigns. But that isn’t the case anymore, is it?

Brock Lesnar is here to stay in the WWE, which means more of what we have seen in the past calendar year: limited appearances and hype-ups from his advocate Paul Heyman. Brock said on Sportscenter that his deal will consist of working part-time with full-time pay, which is the dream especially at his age in the world of pro-wrestling. And he’ll no longer be tight financially, he’ll be able to provide for his family, which is commendable.

With that said, don’t be surprised if Brock Lesnar, as Heyman alluded to for the past couple of weeks, retains his WWE championship at WrestleMania. And if Brock does conquer Roman Reigns–as he very well should–it would be interesting to see who on the current roster rises to the occasion and vanquishes the unconquerable?

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

With a name like “The Vigilante”, I was half expecting Sting to point his bat at Triple H in their encounter at WWE Fastlane and say, “Triple H, you have failed this federation!” Instead, true to his WCW persona, Sting remained silent and let his bat do the talking.

Much like The Vigilante of Starling City, Sting attempted to overturn the broken authority that corrupted WCW as a symbol of retribution. But in Sting’s tapped verbal response, he admitted that he failed to save WCW. Not because his loyalty wavered, but because of forces beyond his control.

Fourteen years after the destruction of WCW, Sting vows to take out Triple H at WrestleMania. Because, according to Sting, Triple H’s loyalty is to himself, and his corruption and control has led to the ruin of Superstars’ lives.

About half a year ago, when TNA’s Bully Ray was on Chris Jericho’s podcast, he stated that if he ever returned to WWE (as seen at the Royal Rumble) he would want to come back as Bubba Ray Dudley because that’s the character WWE fans remember him for.

So it’s funny when wrestling fans get upset because WWE doesn’t acknowledge Sting’s past with TNA. Why would they? If Green Arrow appeared in a cross over issue with Hawkeye, would it ever be mentioned in the DC Universe? No, because each universe has their established storylines and set characters.

WCW is a part of the WWE Universe because WWE owns the video library. So the Sting we see now is picking up where Sting left off in the WWE Universe, and that’s when he disappeared after WCW closed its doors.

Although the dream match for WrestleMania was Sting and The Undertaker, I have to say that Triple H is a more logical opponent for The Icon than The Phenom. Because when WCW was bought out, Triple H made sure that the fleeting memory of the competition was bastardized. And Sting knew that if he showed up in WWE back then, his legacy would have died. But his years of silence is now over and it is time for him to enforce his vengeance.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.